A delegation of RTI Kerala Federation will meet the Governor, R. S. Gavai, on Thursday to complaint against the appointment of Sony B. Thengamom as State Information Commissioner under the Right to Information Act.
The Federation asserts that Mr. Thengamom is a politician who is not qualified to be appointed as Commissioner.
The Governor had earlier returned the recommendation of the Selection Committee headed by Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan for the appointment of Mr. Thengamom as Commissioner in view of the objections raised by various quarters. (Mr. Gavai is understood to have accepted the recommendation for appointment of former IAS Officer M.N. Gunavardhanan as Commissioner). It had been pointed out that Mr.Thengamom was assistant secretary of the CPI at its Kollam district unit which barred him from becoming the Commissioner.
The government has since clarified to the Governor that Mr. Thengamom has quit the party posts held by him. However, the Federation general secretary D. B. Binu said that Mr. Thengamom had held party posts at the time of his consideration for appointment as Commissioner.
Besides the Federation, the U. P. based Public Cause Research Foundation headed by Arvind Kejriwal has also written to the Kerala Governor urging him not to accept the recommendation of the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee has Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy as members.
